Salsa

fired up some cowboy charcoal on the grill last night to toast some salmon and red peppers...

and something we grew to liking from michigan and a friend was salsa with grilled salmon. a mighty fine tasting combination.

But, along with the organic Shoyu sauce I didn't buy any salsa on the weekend trip to the grocery store.

I did manage to source some fresh (green stem and everything) vidalia onions and some fresh cilantro along with the regular stocking of some 28oz cans of whole tomatoes and hard neck garlic.

And well, heck might as well make up some salsa.

1 vidalia onion bulb
1/2 bunch of cilantro
4 cloves garlic
1 can of whole tomatoes in heavy juice
salt
cumin
coriander
and ~1-2 teaspoons of Lee Kum Kee's Sriracha Chili Sauce (bought it as it was HFCS free and pretty clean (ingredient wise more or less - no nasty preservatives or yucky stuff).

Chopped the tomatoes.

Chopped 1/2 the onion very fine and 1/2 of it coarse.

Pressed the garlic cloves

Rinsed and finely chopped the cilantro

Slightly under salted it and added somewhere between 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cumin powder.

The hot sauce, mixed and let stand.

Turned out very good. I do like the fresh tomato style salsa, but I also, admittedly like the Pace kind with a bit more of the sauce in there. The thicker juice packed whole tomato can was perfect. A bit of both the whole tomatoes and the juice. That and it is almost impossible to purchase good fresh ripe and flavorful tomatoes. Canned ones usually trump most fresh ones unless you get the tomatoes in season right from a farm.

Many people often recommend brushing the salmon with a bit of oil or at least oiling the grill before cooking. Some times I will put a bit of olive oil on there and some dill as a marinate before cooking.

This time I just rinsed them off, dried them and popped them right on the grill skin side down. Flipped the first time and then pulled the skin off and scrapped the black oil tissue off the back side, and flipped em back over. The salmon crusted over beautifully. Such flavor and great texture. A nice change. The peppers were pretty damn good to.

Served the salmon and roasted red pepper with the fresh salsa and a bit of organic short grain brown rice (rice was tossed with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and soy (not the rich in flavor Shoyu) sauce -what we have left- after it was cooked.

Making the salsa takes all of the time to chop and mix. Raw ingredient costs can be vary from $2-$5 depending on your choice of canned tomatoes and generally you get close to 40 oz of salsa, and the flexibility to make it as hot (or not) as you want. It beats the price of the "fresh" salsas at the store. Reduces packaging and transportation costs (okay that last is a slight stretch maybe).

It was good. Plenty left over as well.

Got the bars already for the Giant Cyclocross bike. Picked em up at Casters on saturday. But I had a mental lapse and forgot to get a 9 speed chain and cassette. And with Mother's day and shopping to do on Sunday, the bike didn't get any changes. Might just put the bars on and use the bar ends in friction mode until I can get the drive train. Rode in with the trailer and it was a great ride. Hills seemed to take less work, less effort to go up. Even with the flat bars (which admittedly are pretty damn hella cool, all purple and stuff). There really is a heck of a TON of flex in the P-mount and the Croll. Yet as still as the Giant TCX is, it really isn't THAT stiff, and rides pretty damn freaking sweet. It is nice that now the fork doesn't move a couple of centimeters under braking (as it does on the P-mount and Croll). Nice little change.

Oh and Saturday, even got out sailing! All the stuff I seem to have forgotten about it, well some of it came back. Gorgeous little Yanmar turbo diesel (16 valve direct injected) marine power plant on there... dead sexy engine on a sail boat. Girls had fun out there too.

Gloucester Grind is coming up on Sunday... Bike to work day is here on Friday... Last few years it has been dumping rain and cold. This year? Well the forecast ain't looking hot "Mostly cloudy with a shower possible" anyone looking to make a safe bet could score some cash saying that it will be raining from 6am till 10am.

Maybe the rain will hold off and more than just the wicked hard core folks will make it to the rally.

Oh and don't forget the contest this week! Win a cyclocross video!

heddwch
G